Singulair (Montalukast)

Just wondering how many people are on singulair and are suffering from alot of tiredness.

This topic started in the general folder as tiredness.

We also commented drinking alot and I seem to be alot more hungry then I have ever been.

[Hidden]

I have had a bad year with my asthma and the asthma nurse presribed Singulair for me last week. I have found it makes me very tired and yes I seem to be more thirsty too. I am hoping that these tablets will help as the asthma nurse has said she will refer me to the chest specialist if they don't. And I don't really want to go to see him/her.

[Hidden]

Thirst and dry mouth are listed as recognised side effects in the BNF; tiredness is not specifically mentioned but it is known to cause drowsiness and sleep disturbances including insomnia and abnormal dreams, so obviously can affect the quality of sleep.

If you are more thirsty than usual though, it's always worth getting a fasting blood sugar done to rule out diabetes, especially if you are on pred too. Your GP, practice nurse, and some pharmacists can do it.

I am on montelukast and get a lot of dry mouth and thirst, especially during the night, but I'm also on tiotropium, amitriptylline and pred which can all dry your mouth out, and also have steroid-induced diabetes with sugars that often go high in the night, so it's difficult to know what to blame! Sucking a (sugar-free!) boiled sweet helps with the dry mouth, I find, and if it's really bad, there are sprays you can get to moisturise your mouth.

Not sure there are any clever solutions for the tiredness though...

Em H

[Hidden]

This is interesting. I always DO read the info labels, but then always forget them!

I always have a dry mouth from mouth breathing due to bunged up nose, but did think I have been drinking (and pee-ing!) even more than usual since being on singulair.

But for me Singulair is a wonder drug. It dramatically reduces my night time syptoms so I generally my sleep is a lot better, so would have to say less tired.

Just wish they did a day time version. Or one that lasted 24 hours.

[Hidden]

Ali I agree. A daytime version would be fantastic

[yaf_user681_26410]

Glad to hear Singulair is working well Ali, I haven't been so convinced although I suppose i don't often need ventolin during the night. I thought it was supposed to work for 24 hours which is why I haven't been too convinced about its success. I get a really dry mouth but then I tend to mouth breathe and I am always tired but i do get a lot of allergic reactions and my IgE levels are always running very high as well as sleepeing poorly most nights so I couldn't really say it is the drug that makes me tired.

Ange xx

[Hidden]

I don't really get night time symptoms so I hope I am not on it needessly. I will bring this up with my con or A/N when I next see them as I am not really convinced by it!

[Hidden]

I've been on singular about a month now, I've always been tired all the time due to not sleeping properly at night, and although Singulair has happily started to reduce my symptoms (day and night, though more night at the moment it has to be said - yippee!!) I'm still shattered, not sure if this is the singulair though, think it's still just me waking up loads so not getting a proper nights sleep. I didn't wake up properly til 11am today, so good thing I wasn't at work today!

I also drink a lot anyway when at work, as trying to be healthy, but think I am more thirsty than normal, but as that makes me drink more, I'm not too bothered - although my bladder is having trouble keeping up!!

I think it's worth it at the moment, just hope it continues to improve the symptoms and then maintains it! Fingers crossed!

[Hidden]

My asthma nurse tried me on Singulair some time ago. I took it for a month but was so exhausted we agreed I should stop taking it. Pity because it helped a lot to reduce the symptoms.

Hope this helps.

CD

[Hidden]

Ive been on singulair for just over 2 years now but i too mouth breathe and for the last year i have been on aminophylline tablets and pred among others which all make your mouth dry and can cause sleep disturbances and the 'pred munchies' and also like angela my IgE levels are usually sky high.

But i too agree that its not worth coming off them as i think my hayfever has not been as bad this year but it may just be the combination of all the drugs im on anyway.

Stick at it and hopefully you will see some improvement.

[Hidden]

i have been on singulair for a couple of years now, i asked my cons if i could try it as it has a use for exercise induced asthma, and despite being a severe brittle i still enjoy playing tennis and swimming and aqua aerobics. i was finding every time i went in the pool or on the court i coughed and wheezed, since being on singulair this is not so much of a prob, i call it my sports drug. i have not noticed any difference with thurst or tirednes i get both but would not have linked it untl now to the drug?

Georgex

[yaf_user681_26410]

Coughadude

Sorry you didn't continue on the singulair. it takes 3 months to work properly. You may have just been so tired because of the reason you went on it in the first place - your asthma. Sometimes it takes a wh9ile to get your energy back. I dread the day when asthma nurse suggests trying without it again. I think I am fast becoming dependent on it.

Ange

[Hidden]

I tried Singulair for 3 weeks but found it stopped me sleeping. I was only getting 2 - 4 hours sleep a night if I was lucky and that was usually split into 2 or 3 short sleeps. I can usually sleep anywhere and at any time. Unfortunately it also didn't help my symptoms at all so it was stopped.

Jo

[Hidden]

when i first went on it i was tired and had bad dream but after about a few weeks it all calmed down. i was on it a year then taken off it as the drug was not effective anymore for me.

[Hidden]

I am always thisrty and tired dont think I could pinpoint it to singulair maybe it is maybe it isn't. I t has helped my night symptoms grealy until that was I started nights at work now from 4am i realyy begin to struggle with my chest. Have now mentioned this to work and hae coms app on wed so will also talk about it then hopefully we can sort something out to stop it. Fingers crossed.

Heidi

[yaf_user681_26410]

When on night duty your day and night are kind of swapped around so perhaps singulair should be taken in the morning if you are on night duty.

Ange

[Hidden]

Angela Willis

Thankyou for your helpful comments.

I only wish my asthma nurse had said those things at the time! I might have continued with the Singulair if I had known that.

I never even imagined that asthma could cause such tiredness as I sometimes experience,but thought it was my age(!). I was talking to a friend last week who is also asthmatic, and she was complaining about constant extreme tiredness.

My asthma and hay fever have been worse than ever this Summer, plus a chest infection the week before last last (which left me exhausted!).

Maybe I should see the Nurse about trying the Singulair again?

Thankyou again for your halpful remarks!

Take care

CD

[Hidden]

singular

i have been on this drug for 3 years now and it has been the best thing that has happened to me ,as for not sleeping i can sleep the clock round and have no problems with drinking more it must effect everybody different, but for me its brill

Jill

[Hidden]

ive just started taking singulair and are waking up in the morning with a really bad stomach.

did any one else get this?

if you did,did it pass?

how long did it take to pass?

thanks

mel xxx

[yaf_user681_26410]

I had a bad tummy for a short time but can't remember how long. Was told bad heads didn't start until at least 3 months but do know of someone else who had such a bad head she was told not to take it anymore.

[Hidden]

Hi ,

I hope the side effects pass soon!

I didn't get any stomack probs. But I did get indegestion. I spoke to my chemist about it and she sugested I took the 20 min after eating dinner. I am not sugesting you do the same. I do sugest however you speek to your chemist and they can give a sugestion or refer you onto your doc.

Seana

[Hidden]

Splitting the dose

I found that taking the whole dose in the morning was giving me terrible headaches, but after talking to my consultant I now take 5mg morning and evening ad the headaches are a thing of the past - thank heaven!

Jen

[Hidden]

hi, i have tried monralukast a few times, he first time it didn't seem 2 have any effect s it was stopped , the second it was triesd along side slo-phylin (sorry can't spell) , however it i couldn't sleep and it made me really agatated, so it was stopped, now new con is trying me on it agasin, at half dose of 5mg atnight, i only started esterday so don't no if itis working yet, fingers crossed

hope u r all ok

xChloex

[Hidden]

I am currently taking singulair and suffering from no obvious side effects. I am feeling very dependant on it though, and if i run out my asthma seems to get a lot worse. Not sure if this is just psychological. Does anyone else feel the same?

[Hidden]

ive got up this morn and my pf is almost at my best,

still got tight chest and wheeze though!!!!

but well impressed with pf,

just hope it stays there.

well it could be the pred but didnt want to give it any credit for anything so im saying its the singulair

[Hidden]

I have been drinking 4.5 leters of water regularly but today have so far reached 5 leters and still feel so thirsty!

I am really trying to stop myself but my body really needs it!

[yaf_user681_26410]

Seana, have you been tested for diabetes? that is one of the commonest causes of such an incessant thirst.

Ange xx

[Hidden]

I did about a year ago. So far today I have drunk about 3 liters! I will go doctors on monday

[Hidden]

Not just me then

I was prescribed Montalukast and it made me really sleepy and thirsty i have been tested for Diabetes and Thyroid and im clear so at the moment im drinking loads and loads !!

[Hidden]

I went GP today and they are doing blood tests for diabeis, thyroid and my colestorol (didn't know thirsty was a sign for that!). I told him I have had them all done befor and he had to do them just incase!

[Hidden]

Last few weeks I've been getting really itchy all over - cons says not known side effect of singulair, but can't think of anything else thats changed - any one know of this, or do I need to look somewhere else to find the cause!

[Hidden]

I personally have not had that symptom.

Lets hope it goes soon for you!

Do you have a rash of just itchy?

[Hidden]

im getting cramps in my feet and legs that spasm if i move them and they aint half painfull,

does anybody else get this?

how long does it take to stop ouch

[Hidden]

no rash, just really itchy. v weird! Cons said to keep on with anti histamines and it should go away - wasn't sure if it was hayfever or singulair nice and helpful then!

[Hidden]

Hi guys,

I got told my by my doctor there is no reason for me to be so thirsty and I have to cut down on water. 2 glasses when I wake up, 1 befor i leave, 2 at lunch time, 2 when I get home and 1 before I go to bed.

I done this and within 2 days my lips got really dry and started chapping (which a doctor a few months back told me was a sign of dehydration and told me to up my water) and I was feeling so so thirsty. I am not drinking quite as much as I was but I have gone back up and my lips are better!

How is everyone else getting on???

[Hidden]

well my pf is still doing quite good,apart from the odd dip,asthma nurse has told me to give it another couple of weeks to see if i have any improvement,i think i have improved a bit.

but are getting really bad cramps in my feet and legs.

[yaf_user681_26410]

I associated the cramps with serevent or fomoterol not the singulair. Who knows they could be caused by any or all of them we all seem to be taking such a mixture of jthings.

[krissie56]

Singulair

Hi I have been on Singulair since January, but although it was magic with keeping my airways clear - the side affects got the better of me - Nightmares, (these seem to settle down) Insomnia - after 3 months of sleeping 3 hours a night and not being able to function properly. Burning itchy legs - if I did get to sleep this woke me up ( i can't win). So now the Dr has changed my meds to Uniphyllin - fingers crossed.

krissie

[Hidden]

Krissie, gald you mentioned the itchy legs - I tohught I was the only one and just being weird! Like you the Singulair has been good for my airways, alghouth I've just bene put on a long term dose of pred which I'm not happy about. I'm finding that anti histamies are keeping the itching under control - still there but not as bad, hopefully this will continue to work!

[Hidden]

I have been taken off singulair by my GP as I have been having problems with bloods and the doc thinks it could be a side effect of the montelukast. I have chest clinic tomorrow so I will see what she says.

How is everyone else?

[Moose1]

I have just been put on singulair, been on it a week, have been really tired the last couple of days and felt sick yesterday but i think it's just side effects?

I'm hoping singulair is going to work but if it doesn't, is there another option that dr can give me?

Christine

[Hidden]

There are another couple of drugs in the same class so you could try them - zafirlukast or zileuton. I found the nightmares settled down after a couple of weeks and taking the dose in the morning (instead of the recommended evening) gives me better sleep.